FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL; Louisville Sets Out To Gain Recognition

By THOMAS ROGERS

Published: September 23, 1989

In four years, Coach Howard Schnellenberger transformed the University of Miami Hurricanes from mediocrity to a national collegiate championship team in 1983. He has been striving since 1985 to pull off a similar feat with Louisville, where for three seasons he has labored with teams that had records of 2-9, 3-8 and 3-7-1.

Last year, however, Louisville posted its first winning record in a decade (8-3). And now, riding an eight-game winning streak over two seasons, Schnellenberger thinks his Cardinals may be on their way to national recognition.

Looming crucially in the coach's plans is a home game this afternoon against West Virginia, a team ranked in the top 10 and led by Major Harris, a scrambling quarterback who is a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

''This has been the toughest job of my life,'' Schnellenberger said recently. ''Last year we finally assaulted the mountain and won eight games. And now we sense a great opportunity, going up against the best team we've faced in my five seasons here.'' Sold Out for Weeks

West Virginia, sparked by Harris, won 11 straight games last season before losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, 34-21.

''This game was sold out two weeks ago and we expect 40,000 people, the biggest crowd in Louisville history,'' Schnellenberger said. Browning Nagle, a junior quarterback who originally enrolled at West Virginia, is expected to lead the Louisville attack. Nagle transferred after getting a close look at the offensive talents of a fellow freshman quarterback named Harris.

In his first two games this season, Nagle has thrown for 4 touchdowns and 438 yards in victories over Wyoming and Kansas. Harris, in victories over Ball State, Maryland and South Carolina, has totaled 5 touchdown passes and 567 yards. He also has 2 touchdowns and 200 yards rushing.

''We know we'll be going into a hornet's nest,'' said Coach Don Nehlen of West Virgina. ''They're a mile high at Louisville, calling this the game of the year or some such.'' Two Keen Rivals

Two of West Virginia's keenest rivals in the East, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, will meet tonight at Pitt Stadium. Both teams are aiming for the No. 1 spot in the East and prestigious bowl bids.

Pitt has not beaten Syracuse for five years but has a splendid defensive line and a freshman quarterback, Alex Van Pelt, who has completed 26 of 35 passes for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns in two easy victories. Syracuse, which has lost only twice in the last two seasons, has allowed only 10 points in victories over Temple and Army.

Two perennial Rose Bowl contenders from the Big Ten, Michigan and Ohio State, will be on the West Coast to play Pacific-10 Rose Bowl possibilities.

The Wolverines, who lost their season opener to Notre Dame, will face U.C.L.A. (1-1) before a crowd of 70,000 in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State (1-0) will visit Southern California (1-1), which is coming off a 66-10 thrashing of Utah State after an opening-game upset loss to Illinois.

Top-ranked Notre Dame, with a 14-game winning streak, plays its home opener against Michigan State, which crushed Miami of Ohio, 49-0, last week. Second-ranked Miami, after two lopsided victories, should have little trouble at Missouri (1-1) and third-rated Nebraska should not be threatened at Minnesota by a team that failed to win in the Big Ten last year. Clemson's Quest Begins

Clemson (3-0) begins its quest for a fourth straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship against Maryland (1-2), a dangerous opponent that lost narrow decisions to West Virginia and North Carolina State.

Arkansas (1-0), which made a smooth transition from the wishbone to the I-formation with seven backs gaining at least 40 yards last week, seems too powerful and deep for undefeated Mississippi.

Another last gasp game may occur when Pacific-10 rivals Washington and Arizona clash at Tucson, Ariz. The teams tied in 1987 when an Arizona field-goal attempt missed with two seconds left, and last year the Wildcats triumphed, 16-13, on a field goal with five seconds remaining.